August 31, 1836 New York Cancel - Appears to be an 18^1/2 Rate Marking
(Actual Rate in Effect was 18^3/4 Cents established in 1825)

The cover shown above is the Sixth mid-1830s New York Stampless Folded Letter (SFL), that I've received for my collection with what appears to be a rate marking for the 18^1/2 cent rate established by Act of Congress on April 9, 1816, (effective May 1, 1816) for mail traveling between 150 and 400 miles. The Postal Act of March 3, 1825, (effective May 1, 1825) increased the zone rate for 150 to 400 miles to 18^3/4 cents. The script rate marking appears to be in the same handwriting as the several other 1830s New York canceled covers in my collection. On all of these covers, the script looks more like 18^1/2 cents than 18^3/4 cents. I have several New York and Rhode Island covers where the script marking clearly shows 18^3/4 cents. I believe that this is just a lazy script on the part of the New York Clerk, who probably established his script style during the 18^1/2 rate period and just continued it into the 18^3/4 rate period. I am continuing to research these script markings and will add an explanation on these pages if I solve the mystery. 

(The actual road distance between New York and Providence Rhode Island is approximately 174 miles which puts it in the 18^3/4 rate zone.) 

I have set up a special page to track the cancellations and the 18^1/2 and 18^3/4 rate markings of New York Covers during the years 1816 to 1850.

SEE: New York 18^1/2 and 18^3/4 Rate Covers 

Thomas Robinson Hazard was born in South Kingstown, Rhode Island in 1797. He was the second son of Rowland and Mary Peace Hazard.

NOTE: I recently acquired an old text written by Thomas Hazard, "The Jonny Cake Papers" - reprint of 1915 with an introduction and bio by his grandnephew Roland G. Hazard, the grandson of Thomas' brother Roland.
I have added Roland's Bio of Thomas R. Hazard on a separate page.

Thomas R. Hazard was educated at, the Friends' school in Westtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania and then worked in his father's mill in South Kingstown while also farming and raising sheep. (He was known as "Shepherd Tom.")  In 1821, he went into business on his own and established a woolen mill at Peacedale, RI.

In 1836, Thomas purchased an estate in Portsmouth, RI, which he named Vaucluse. He married Francis Minturn in 1838 and retired from manufacturing in 1840. After his retirement he took up writing. His subjects included such diverse topics as capital punishment, African colonization, political essays, religious persecution, medical instruction, and sheep farming. One of his better known works was a collection of South Kingstown Folklore called The Johnny-Cake Papers of Sheppard Tom originally published in 1888 and reprinted in 1915. 

Thomas Hazard was heavily involved in the spiritualist movement and after the death of his wife he wrote many articles on the topic and hosted frequent séances at his home in Portsmouth.

Thomas Robinson Hazard died in New York City in 1886. Francis Minturn Hazard died in 1854. Thomas and Francis had 5 daughters and 1 son.

NOTE: I recently acquired an old text written by Thomas Hazard, "The Jonny Cake Papers" - a reprint of 1915 with an introduction and bio by his grand nephew Roland G. Hazard, the grand son of Thomas' brother Roland.